The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-04-11
THE SOUTH END BOOM
AN ERA or UNTOLD PROSPERITY

AN ERA or UNTOLD PROSPERITY
'4f 3
Dswning In tho Eighth wnr,l-The Change
ltnpid one-Not enough houses for
tho People who Want to Come In.
~Sew iIou,s. goiag. up Hapidiy.
The Eighth ward Is just now enjoying q
boom such as she never before cxperleno-
cd in her history Hince the independent
republic Of Richlotown became part and
parcel OF the city. The steady running OF
the Benwood furnaces and factories, CIV
Ing employment 10 hundreds and hun.
drsds Of men, and the erection ofthe
Riverside company's large tube works,
with the certainty Of tho addition OF a
pottery-possibly two-and several other
industrial establishments, have already
increased tho population Of the South
End tosuch an extent that there is not a
vacant house In the Eighth ward or the
lower end Of the Sixth, and tho families
who prefer 10 live there have not by my
meaus been accommodated. With the
influx Of population which must follow
the erection Of new works Of large ca.
pacity, the facilities for furnishing accom-.
modntions for residents OF would DO resi-.
dents, will DO still moro inadequate. ..
The new La Belle Pottery will employ
at tho start $50 people. As about every
ab!e.bodied male peraon III Wheeling who
wants to work Ia now employed, this i'm
plea on actual addition to the city's popu-
ia,ion OF at least 100 peraons. The tube
works now In process Of construction will
employ ok hundred hands, and as these
must DO nearly all adultg and skilled
| hands, 1t IL nGte to count on an increase
from this source, with tho incidental
growth which cannot help but follow, Of
5000 sou!s.
The existing state Of affairs is new. Up
to tho first Of the. current year there was
no special increase in the demand for
house7. Since January, however, advea.
cCs on the rent heretofore received by
Landlords have been voluntarily offered by
would.be tenants. In one case Of which
an IsrKLLidEHcER reporter was reliably
informed Saturday, twelve dollars month,
to be- paid in advance, was offered for d
three.roomed brick house which had
already been lot for nine dollars. This 10
given as one instance showing the real
demand Tor residenCea there.
THE REASON OFT.
In past years the Benwood concerns
we're not so numerous or extensive, and
they ran so unsteadily that employees were
indifferent as to where they lived. There
arc hundreds Of men employed in Ben
wood now who live north Of Csldwell's
run; not Il lev who live north OF Wheel.
ing creek. In tho morning long prooes.
sion Of toilers with lunch buckets in hand
flows south through the Eighth ward, and
after the mills shut down at night the tide
returns. It ia no agreeable task ior q
weary man, after Esestl!ag With ;-aa and
Rtesl all day, to walk two or three miles
before resting. Every day the number o:
men who seek homes nearer their work
grows larger. II homes cannot be found
in the south end OF the city they natural.
liz 20 to Benwood. Many reasons are
given by workiugmeu for preferring to
live shove the city line: the city water
and gas service and fire protection, the
paved streets. the street car line, the
school aud church advantages and
markets, all enter into consideration. But
when their preference is not obtainable
they 20 to Benwooh, which is now more
thriving than ever and enjoying a boom
itself OF no mean proportions. just now
the influx in population has been too
much for Benwo1d as we'll as South
Wheeling, and accordingly some workmen
arc temporarily living with their families
in shsnty boats along the river.
| SOME EXPECTS OF THE BOON.
Naturally tho atste OF affairs described
10 having it's effect in the Eighth ward.
New houses are BUILDING in considerable
numbera, and many more are to be built
this gasscn. The new school house Just
completed in the extreme south end has
encouraged new population to centre
about it. A number Of fine residences
built by the owners for their own occu.
pancy have recently been completed, and
now the enterprise and capital OF the resi-
dents and real estate owners seems to be
taking the direction OF n.at tenement
houses. A Mr.. Williams recently cold his
farm and stock in Wood county, and COM
ing to Wheeling bought several lots in the
Eighth ward and is putting up four four
ro0med tenement houses OF convenient de-
sign. Mr.. Williams attention was directed
to the opening ior cspitsl there when on
Yait TO bis brother, VINO is employed at
Bcuwood. II 10 sale to predict that he
will find HE speculation more profitable
than those Who have gone of and put
their money into property at Findlay,
| Ohio, Or in one OF the much doomed
western or southern towna Lots ut Find
lay arc reliably said to remain dead in the
hands Of the purchasers who bought them
on speculation. The condition Of affairs
in the Eighth ward preclUdes the possihil.
ity Of ouch an outcome. The Eighth ward
Ia booming; Findlsy and tho other towns
referred 10 Sre being boomed-a vast dit.
ference.
IMPROVEMENT IN DUslSEA5.
All the retail merchants in that end OF
town arc prospercug, and agree in report
ing business better than it has been Tor
years. The back debis contracted during
the nail strike and the period OF dcpres.
mon which the industries hero in common
with those OF the whole country suffered
not long uao, are being rapidly wiped out.
The laboring classes not only have the
means to pay their rent promptly and pro-
vide well for their families; they ere able |
to-day TO indulge in many OF the Injuries
OF life and signs oil culture and content
arc more and more noticeable in their
homes. The children are we'll clad, the |
housewives chperiul and the men busy
and well paid. Those who own thair own |
houses are improving them outYardy
and inwarlly. New lronts, new roofs,
new coNts Of paint. new fences and nddi.
tons to houeeH are to DO seen on all sides. !
rhiB ia q feature Of the boom which the
entire business community shares and
will continue TO share in increasing pro.
portion.
It ID estimated by men familiar with |
the situation Of atairs that Que hundred
now hoaaes could DO rented an soon as
tntf. /.